Seth Apter's Blog, page 104

5x5: Chapter 7

I may be the author of  The Pulse of Mixed Media  but the true, creative force behind my book is the group of artists who generously shared their secrets and passions and, of course, their art. It was important to me that this book be representative of our entire artistic community, but the total number of contributors I could include was limited by the number of pages in the book. Not wanting to be contained by page numbers, I decided that the Internet was the perfect vehicle to extend the book and be able to include more of the community. With this in mind, the 5x5 Pulse Project was born.


The Pulse of Mixed Media  presented the results of a survey in which contributing artists were asked questions that they had to answer with words or provided with prompts that they had to respond to by creating art. These ideas were combined in the 5x5 Pulse Project. I put out an open call for artists to submit artwork created in response to one or more of the following questions that were part of the original book:
1. If your artwork could talk, what would it say?
2. Who has had the most impact on your creative life?
3. What is one thing you have never shared with the creative community?
Submitting artists could chose 1, 2, or all 3 of the questions and respond to each by creating artwork in any medium in the form of a 5" x 5" square. They were asked to include words as a part of their artwork as well. There was a tremendous response to this call and I will be posting each submission every Sunday throughout the months of November and December. 

The 5x5 project is also being featured in a ten-page spread in the November/December 2012 issue of Somerset Studio, now available in stores and online here.
---------------------------------If your artwork could talk, what would it say?
Amy Duncan
"The most ordinary of objects can tell a story. you just have to be listening."

Teri Mahl
"I am living on the west coast. Torn in many directions. Conflicted, fearful, anxious, unsure of myself. Searching new directions. Searching new paths."

Elizabeth Bunsen

"Gather the light"

Frances Peets

"Until you came into my heart, I did not feel. Until you touched my soul, I did not dance. Until you took my hand, I did not trust. Until you looked into my eyes, I was lost. Until you held me, love was not."

Shari Adkisson
"Silky, subdued, handmade and gorgeous colors. They just about sum up my take on art - fibre related!"

Carol Henley
"Your art is a reflection of you"

Erika Husselmann
"Love inspires"

Pat McNally

"Appreciate me"
(this 5x5 also answers the other two questions)

What is the one thing you have never shared with the creative community?

Artist at large
"I haven't shared my bank details with the creative community because they will hack into my account and spend it all on charcoal."

Who has had the most impact on your creative life?

Darlene Wilkinson
"Me! and my higher self. I go thru life seeing, experiencing so many different facets and moods, colors and experiences. Then I go to my studio and intuitively create art via life experiences."-----------------------The next edition of 5x5 will be posted on Sunday, December 23rd.

Explorations in...Giveaway!

Thanks to everybody who left a comment and entered my recent giveaways. I am sending out congratulations to the following three lucky winners: Susan Burgess has won a set of TEXTures stencils created by Jill K. Berry. Darlene K. Campbell will be receiving a copy of Photo Craft by Susan Tuttle and Christy Hydeck. Jan from Jan's Art and Musings will be getting Alternative Art Journals by Margaret Peot.

GIVEAWAY
Tis the season of giving and I have one more giveaway for you all.

Jess Greene from Seek Your Course, a wonderful site that highlights live and online art workshops - and much more, has just released three exciting and unique ebooks. I asked Jess to share a bit with my readers and this is what she had to say:

"After spending my summer on the road with the Jumpstart Creativity Tour I got an idea for the next phase of my business, Seek Your Course. While on tour I met many creative instructors who use SYC and so many people who were trying to fit more creativity into their life. This made me realize that we needed ebooks that guided readers through a bite-sized, at-home creative retreat. So over the past couple months I have been working with Stephanie Lee and Pixie Campbell to write the first three! Pixie leads readers through soul crafts with Spirit as a theme, Stephanie shares a plaster project around the theme of gratitude, and I teach a bookmaking project and talk about Journey. They are beautiful and finally ready for all to enjoy."

For this giveaway, please leave a comment on this post by end of day Monday, December 17th and you will be eligible to win your choice of one of the ebooks. Be sure I have your email so I can contact you.  The winner will be chosen randomly. Good luck!

2013 Workshop Schedule

I am going on the road in 2013 and just might be in your neighborhood. I have been working on scheduling workshops for next year and am now officially booked at multiple venues in New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Oregon, and Washington State. Details, including descriptions of all the classes, are now posted and can be seen at any time by clicking on the "workshops" tab at top of my blog. I am in the process of scheduling additional dates in other states and the listing will be updated in bold as workshops are confirmed. One of the best parts of the classes I have been teaching is actually meeting so many online friends in person. Hopefully I get to meet you soon too!

5x5: Chapter 6

I may be the author of  The Pulse of Mixed Media  but the true, creative force behind my book is the group of artists who generously shared their secrets and passions and, of course, their art. It was important to me that this book be representative of our entire artistic community, but the total number of contributors I could include was limited by the number of pages in the book. Not wanting to be contained by page numbers, I decided that the Internet was the perfect vehicle to extend the book and be able to include more of the community. With this in mind, the 5x5 Pulse Project was born.

The Pulse of Mixed Media  presented the results of a survey in which contributing artists were asked questions that they had to answer with words or provided with prompts that they had to respond to by creating art. These ideas were combined in the 5x5 Pulse Project. I put out an open call for artists to submit artwork created in response to one or more of the following questions that were part of the original book:
1. If your artwork could talk, what would it say?
2. Who has had the most impact on your creative life?
3. What is one thing you have never shared with the creative community?
Submitting artists could chose 1, 2, or all 3 of the questions and respond to each by creating artwork in any medium in the form of a 5" x 5" square. They were asked to include words as a part of their artwork as well. There was a tremendous response to this call and I will be posting each submission every Sunday throughout the months of November and December. 

The 5x5 project is also being featured in a ten-page spread in the November/December 2012 issue of Somerset Studio, now available in stores and online here.
---------------------------------If your artwork could talk, what would it say?
Darlene K. Campbell  "Go ahead and jump down the rabbit hole"

Wanda Hickman
 "It's all in the details"

Sarah Fishburn
 "Hope is the thing with feathers that perches in the soul and sings the tune without the words and never stops at all" E.D.

Raylee Syrch
"You see me. Do you feel me?"

Bleubeard and Elizabeth
 "Get me out of the studio and into the real world"

Kathryn Dyche Dechairo
 "Touch me"

Terrie Purkey
 "I am worthy"


Barbara Kleinhans "Come close and let your eyes wander"

Jane Royal
 "Capture the essence of the subject and move on. Don't get caught up in the details. In the case of portraits, my most common subject, I focus on the expression and personality of the subject more than the exact likeness. I do strive for recognizable but I don't get too upset if a feature is slightly 'off.' It would be safe to say that I'm not a perfectionist."

Arabella Grayson
 "My art work, my heart work, is beauty - love - peace from my heartspace"

Deborah Guthrie
 "The child in you lives on. Childhood is cherished now as a memory. It was lonely but cherished and the loneliness gave you permission to play and entertain yourself. The stage awaits every day. The lines to say, the costume to plan, make and wear. The delight of the day. Oh the drama of the day. The chances to do it again and again and again."

Loryn Spangler-Jones
 "If perchance he feels himself falling in love, come inside"

Beth Bynum
 "My artwork quotes American author, Joseph Chilton Pearce, To live a creative life, we must lose our fears of being wrong."
-----------------------The next edition of 5x5 will be posted on Sunday, December 16th.

A Photo Craft Giveaway

I was provided with a review copy by North Light Books of Photo Craft: Creative Mixed Media and Digital Approaches to Transforming Your Photographs co-written by Susan Tuttle and Christy Hydeck. Released about 3 weeks ago, this book focuses on the unique combination of both digital techniques using Photoshop Elements (PSE) and mixed media techniques by hand.



In my initial "flip" through the pages, I was immediately struck by the amount of information that this book offers. This initial impression was confirmed when I read through the book page by page: Photo Craft has the feel of a comprehensive, go-to guidebook. The book starts off with a brief mixed-media toolkit and a more in depth introduction to PSE. On the photography side of things, sections cover taking great photos, making digital improvements, depth of field, composition, light, texture, blending modes, photo effects, brushes,  and more. Many mixed-media techniques and supplies are covered, including faux plaster, crackle paste effects, foil transfers, PanPastels, watercolor, woodburning, charcoal, tissue, wax, and more.

There are tutorials on both the digital and the mixed-media techniques - and more importantly the  combination of both in single projects, hints on iPhoneography, additional tips & prompts for all the step-out projects, lists of recommended apps, and artwork and instruction from 9 invited artists including Pam Carriker, Susanna Gordon and Madelyn Mulvaney. The sample photography is beautiful, the written instruction clear and concise, and you can feel the passion for the subject that both Susan and Christy clearly have.


GIVEAWAY
One lucky reader will win a copy of Photo Craft. For a chance to win, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post by end of day December 14th and be sure to include your email address so I can contact you. The winner will be chosen randomly. Good luck!

An Alternative Giveaway

North Light Books has provided me with a review copy of Alternative Art Journals: Explore Innovative Approaches to Collecting Your Creativity written by Margaret Peot and released this past September. There have been many books focused on journaling but, as the subtitle for this book suggests, Alternative Art Journals looks at this hot topic from a fresh perspective.


The book is divided into 8 chapters and also includes a gallery section and a short list of additional sources on art journaling. Chapter 1 focuses on journaling in the traditional book format and includes some interesting step-by-step tutorials to create textured and distressed backgrounds. The remaining 7 chapters introduce alternative approaches to art journaling and combine step-by-step instructions and diagrams/photos with completed samples. Just some of the non-traditional formats include envelope journals, card set journals, scroll journals, Tibetan work structures, accordion journals, correspondence journals, box journals, photo album journals, tag journals, and charm journals.

The main focus of this book is on creating these innovative journal structures but more is included as well. Sidebars throughout the book introduce tips, ideas, historical information, prompts, and other bits and pieces of info to help you think outside the box when it comes to journal making. The gallery includes some beautiful examples of journals, all of which were created by the author.

GIVEAWAY
One lucky reader will win a copy of Alternative Art Journals. For a chance to win, all you need to do is leave a comment on this post by end of day December 14th and be sure to include your email address so I can contact you. The winner will be chosen randomly. Good luck!

A Very Berry Giveaway

Jill K. Berry Stencils Blog Hop
I am so very happy to be a part of a blog hop, promoting a new line of stencils created by artist and author Jill K. Berry - she of Personal Geographies: Explorations in Mixed-Media Mapmakingfame. I had the pleasure to have met Jill when I was out in Colorado earlier this year and am not surprised that she has created these beauties. After a short time with Jill, I realized that her imagination has no limits.

Jill currently has a four-stencil set that is available from Artistcellar.


Her new line of stencils are based on her own abstracted calligraphic writing and are called TEXTures. They are unique and very cool.


I used one of the four stencils to create the background above...which I turned into the mixed media piece below.

Imaginary Letters Available in my Etsy shop
To celebrate the release of Jill's stencils, I am sponsoring a giveaway. All you need to do is leave a comment on this post, including your email address, to be eligible to win one, four-stencil set as pictured above. Comment by end of day on December 14th, at which time I will chose the winner randomly.
I am just one of the many stops on this blog hop. I hope you are able to take the time to visit everybody!
11/30 Jill Berry12/03 Sketchbook Challenge Guest post12/04 You Are Here12/05 Diana Trout12/06 Traci Bunkers12/07 Tracy Verdugo12/08 Anne Gaal12/09 Effy Wild12/10 Dawn DeVries Sokol12/11 Aimee Myers Dolich12/12 Sue Bleiweiss12/13 Pam Carriker 12/14 Jane Davenport

5x5: Chapter 5

I may be the author of  The Pulse of Mixed Media  but the true, creative force behind my book is the group of artists who generously shared their secrets and passions and, of course, their art. It was important to me that this book be representative of our entire artistic community, but the total number of contributors I could include was limited by the number of pages in the book. Not wanting to be contained by page numbers, I decided that the Internet was the perfect vehicle to extend the book and be able to include more of the community. With this in mind, the 5x5 Pulse Project was born.


The Pulse of Mixed Media  presented the results of a survey in which contributing artists were asked questions that they had to answer with words or provided with prompts that they had to respond to by creating art. These ideas were combined in the 5x5 Pulse Project. I put out an open call for artists to submit artwork created in response to one or more of the following questions that were part of the original book:
1. If your artwork could talk, what would it say?
2. Who has had the most impact on your creative life?
3. What is one thing you have never shared with the creative community?
Submitting artists could chose 1, 2, or all 3 of the questions and respond to each by creating artwork in any medium in the form of a 5" x 5" square. They were asked to include words as a part of their artwork as well. There was a tremendous response to this call and I will be posting each submission every Sunday throughout the months of November and December. 

The 5x5 project is also being featured in a ten-page spread in the November/December 2012 issue of Somerset Studio, now available in stores and online here.
---------------------------------Who has had the most impact on your creative life?
Teri Mahl "My creative life was initially started by my Gandmother: gardener, architect, seamstress, survivor. She nurtured me and made me who I am today."
Jane Royal "My mom had the most impact on my creative life. She could always pick me up when I was feeling discouraged or overwhelmed. She always knew what to say to help me stop worrying about what everyone else was doing so I could focus on following my unique path."
Jo Murray "One of my first art teachers, John Gould (not the bird one), was a great teacher and painter. He died some years ago, but still sits on my shoulder when I work. To this day, whenever I need motivation, I only need to look at the many photos I took of his paintings and I'm inspired. I am an open book. I wear my heart on my sleeve. All those cliches apply to me. No secrets here. If my artwork could speak I'd hope it said 'I come from the heart.' But I know it often says 'Stop!' which I ignore at my peril."(this 5x5 also answers the other two questions)
Janine Whitling "Serge Benhayon - esoteric healer, author and founder of Universal Medicine Healing Centre. He has not taught me how to make art, techniques in painting, and what art is. What Serge Benhayon has shown me through his own living quality is the reflection of pure love and facilitated my own self-love through his livingness. That self-love has paved my way in art to create with joy rather than embed my own personal issues of emotion and ideals into the world."
Loryn Spangler-Jones "Humanity"
Beth Bynum "Nick Bantock, author and artist extraordinaire, is my idol and inspiration.
Lisa Sarsfield
"Vincent Van Gogh. Passionate rebel, eyes wide open, dreamer of dreams, star gazer, believer. Leading the way."

Frances Peets
"Wordy Artist Tribute"
"We must be willing to let go of the life we planned, so as to have the life that is waiting for us." - Joseph Campbell

Holly Dean
"My parents gave me unconditional love and support. They taught me that anything is possible and to follow my dreams. They gave me their talent and the courage to explore. I am grateful every day for such a magical childhood and creative life."

Deborah Guthrie
"I've come to realize that I have had the most impact on my creative life. I've manage to reach this middle aged time and build an artful life slowly and steadily since a child. No easy route, no first hand mentor or money. Just all the steps of life. As I sit here now I'm amazed at the impact of my determination. Not egotistical but just pleased I've continued and have a hunger for more."

Darlene K. Campbell
"Gary Reef. He inspired me to create without fear. To paint beyond those boundaries I had set up."

Wanda Hickman
"My husband Bill. He has supported my creative pursuits both financially and physically, giving me the space and emotional support to be able to experiment and grow as an artist. He is a true Patron of the Arts!"

Barbara Kleinhans
"My dad. His passing brought a focus to my art that wasn't there before."
-----------------------
The next edition of 5x5 will be posted on Sunday, December 9th.

Shameless Advertisement

As I am working away behind the scenes on my new book, I am happily seeing that my first book "The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed" is still making its way out in the world.



My 5x5 project, an online extension of the book, is being featured in the current, November/December issue of Somerset Studio. Christen Olivarez, the editor of the magazine, has  highlighted the article on  Somerset Place , the blog from Stampington & Company. In it she says "I truly feel like this article is like no other we've ever published. Perhaps it's because it is based on a book, "The Pulse of Mixed Media," that is like no other. When Seth first contacted me with the idea for this article, I was quick to say "yes!" to it. I knew Somerset Studio readers would really enjoy having insight into the creative processes of some of their favorite artists." A million thanks Christen!






The book has also been included in a post on Create Mixed Media entitled "Gifts for Artists/Creativity Jump-Starts." This post is the first in a series on the site that will highlight categories of gifts for the artist (and non-artist alike). Also check out "Gifts for Artists/Art Journaling", the second post in the series.







I still get a thrill when I wander through a book store and see my book on the shelf. And it still brings a smile on my face when I come across my book unexpectedly online, like the other say when I saw that Dick Blick has added it to their online store and even featured it on their landing page for books.









One of my workshop DVDs is also indirectly "in the news", but by way of full disclosure, that is because I put it there. I have just added "Head Start" to the shelves of my Etsy shop.


This is one of the mixed-media artworks that I created during the filming of my workshop DVD Easy Mixed Media Surface Techniques . You can see the creation of the piece, from start to finish, on the DVD. While I haven't run across any recent online mention of my other DVD, Easy Mixed Media Techniques for the Art Journal ,  I am including it here so that it doesn't feel left out.

Point Taken

In 2010 a series of survey questions were posted on my blog as a means of ‘taking the pulse’ of the online art community. More than 40 questions were posed and the results of the survey were presented as sidebars in my book The Pulse of Mixed Media: Secrets and Passions of 100 Artists Revealed. The survey tapped into a range of issues, both practical and psychological, related to being an artist today.

In Pulse Points, my newest series continuing today on Create Mixed Media, select survey questions from the book were presented to several different groups of artists working in mixed media and beyond. 
Today's rockstar panel includes: Quinn McDonald, Carla Sonheim, Sue Bleiweiss, Christine Mason Miller, and Jill K. Berry.
Today's questions and original survey results from The Pulse of Mixed Media:
How do you feel if you don't tap into your creative ability regularly?Guilty…8%Cranky…28%Frustrated...49%Doesn't affect me at all...3%N/A - I always tap into my creativity...12%
Do you think of art as therapeutic?Yes, art is my form of therapy…45%Sometimes art can be therapeutic for me…49%No, art is just art…6%
And a taste of what our panel members had to say:
Jill K. Berry: "If I go days without being in my studio I feel like I am neglecting one of my senses."
Carla Sonheim: "When feeling good, expressing myself creatively is where I go first." 
Sue Bleiweiss: "Tapping into my creative energy is just as important to my well being as eating and sleeping."
Quinn McDonald: "Creativity is the sharpened point of the pencil, rather than the eraser."
Christine Mason Miller: "I have used art to process, work through and express all kinds of emotions, struggles and issues in my life."
Head on over to Create Mixed Media to hear much more of what the panel has to say about these issues. You can also read the first two posts in the series if you missed them. And if you would like, please share your own thoughts in the comment sections here or at CMM.[image error]